Means for and method of operating on canned goods.



Jan. 1

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILEDMARFI3' l9l7.

Patented Q mm. RN o O 0 Q o m y w aw Q mw u. Q O N 0 J n o a m ii M 4E M7 w a Q I l A.-- 1

I "P, RIESENECKER. Mums ron AND METHOD or OPERATING on .cmmio'sooos.

KPPIIIIIA'I'I'ON FILED MAR- I3| I911- I Patented Jam 1,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PETER BIESENECKEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF OPERATING ON CANNED GOODS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

Application filed March 13, 1917. Serial No. 154,440.

A To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER RIESENECKER, a citizen of'the United States, residing at Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for and Methods of Operating on Canned Goods, of which the following, is a full, clear, concise, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for and method of operating on canned goods, and, more specifically, to means for and method of sterilizing'canned goods.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide such a means which will be simple in construction and rapid and efficient in operation. A further object is to provide an improved method by means of which the canned goods will be quickly and uniformly and thoroughly sterilized. Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings, in'which is shown a machine exemplifying my improved means and method- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a sterilizing machine;

' Fig. 2 is a plan view of this machine Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the'line -l4 of Fig. 1.

Referring tothe drawings in detail, the sterilizing machine shown comprises a tank for the sterilizing liquid, a tortuous passage forming a can-guide and also forming a passage through which the sterilizing liquid is caused to flow to carry the cans along the passage, a pump for withdrawing the sterilizing liquid from the tank and causing it to flow through the tortuous passage, a chain conveyer for receiving the cans from the outlet of the tortuous passage and removing them from the tank, and heating-coils in the tank for heating the sterilizing liquid.

The tank may be of sheet-metal construction comprising a bottom-plate 10, endplates 11, and side-plates 12. The tortuous passage for the cans may be formed by sheetmetal plates 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 extendin from one side 12 to the other and secure to the sides 12. The cross-plates 13, 15 and not extend up to the end-plate 11, but are spaced from it far enough to allow a can to pass between the end of the plates 14 and 16 and the end-plate 11. The other ends of the plates 14 and 16 extend to a vertical crossplate 18 to which they are secured. Enough space is left between the end of the plate 15 and the vertical cross-plate 18 to allow a can to pass therebetween.

For withdrawing water from the tank and causing it to flow through the tortuous passage, a centrifugal pump 19 is mounted above the tank, having a suction-pipe 20 extending down into the tank, and a dischargepipe 21 for delivering the liquid to the tortuous passage. A motor 22 may be provided for driving the centrifugal pump. The chain-conveyer for receiving the cans from the tortuous passage and removing them from the tank comprises a chain 23 extending over suitably-mounted sprockets 24 and 25, and a plurality of sets of curved fingers 26 secured to the chain 23 for engaging the cans. At the discharge end of the tortuous passage, the plate 17 may be curved to form a depressed pocket into which the cans roll to properly position them for engagement with the curved fingers 26 of the conveyer. This pocketed portion of the plate 17 may be provided with slots 27 to furnish clearance for the fingers 26. The

conveyer-chain 23 may be driven from the pump motor 22 by means of a sprocket 28 mounted on the motor-shaft, a sprocketchain 29 driven from the sprocket 28, and a sprocket-wheel 30 driven from the sprocketchain 29 and mounted on the shaft 31, to which the sprocket 25 is secured.

The sterilizing liquid may be heated in any suitable manner, as by apertured steampipes 32.

The cans may be supplied to the tortuous passage in any suitable manner, as by a canchute 33, and an intermittently-operated can-releasing mechanism indicated at 34. Any suitable discharge means may be provided for receiving the cans from the fingers 26 of the chain conveyer, such as an in clined can-chute 35.

drive the pump 19 and the conveyer-chain 23. The can-releasing mechanism 31 is operated to supply the cans to the tortuous passage. The action of thepump causes the sterilizing liquid to-fiow through the toe tortuous passage.

tuous passage. This movement of the liquid carries the cans along with it through the The movement of the chain conveyer carries the cans one at a time from the discharge end of the tortuous 1. A method of sterilizing and conveying containers comprising placing the containers 1n a heated llqllld and imparting motion to the heated liquid to cause the containers to be carried along by the liquid and heated thereby.

2. A method ofmonveying containers and transferring heat with respect thereto comprising placing the containers ina liquidof a different temperature from that of the containers and imparting motion to the liquid to cause the containers to be carried along by the liquid and to cause a transference of heat between the liquid and the con-, tainers.

3. A sterilizing machine comprising a combined can-guide and liquid-passage, and means for causing heated liquid to flow through said passage, to carry the cans along said can-guide.

4. A sterilizing machine comprising a combined can-guide and liquid-passage,

means for causing liquid to flow through said passage to carry the cans along said can-guide, and means for heating said liqmd to cause it to heat the contents of the cans.

5. A sterilizing machine comprising a tank, a combined can-guide and liquid-passage having its entrance above the liquid level of said tank and its outlet below the liquid level and 'in communication with said tank mean for heating the liquid, and

means for Withdrawing liquid from said tank and supplying it to said entrance to through said passage and back into the tank to carry the cans along said can-guide, and a mechanical conveyer operating in said tank for receiving the cans from said outlet and. removing them from the tank.

7. A sterilizing machine comprising a combined liquid-passage and can-guide having a surface on which the cans may roll, means for causing liquid to flow through said passage to cause the cans to roll along said canguide on said surface, and means for heating said liquid to cause it to heat the contents of said cans.

8. A method of sterilizing and conveying containers comprising directing a heated fluid against said containers to cause them to be carried along by said fluid and heated thereby.

9. A method of conveying containers and transferring heat with respect thereto comprising directing a fluid of a different temperature from that of the containers against said containers to cause them to be carried along by said fluid and to cause a transference of heat between the fluid and the containers.

- 10. A sterilizing machine comprising a combined can-guide and fluid-passage, and means for directing heated fluid against the cans in said passage to carry the cans along said can-guide and to heat the cans.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

PETER RIESENECKER.

Witness LELAND A. BABGOCK. 

